I groaned as Aria insisted I go out tonight. I had zero desire to leave the comfort of my bed, let alone get dressed up and socialize. But Aria was relentless, practically dragging out of my cozy cocoon.
Now, staring at myself in the mirror, I had to admit─ she’d worked her magic. I looked ─ different. Unrecognizably good. My make-up was flawless, my hair carefully styled. And the dress she’d picked out hugged my body in all the right places.
I tugged at the hem, feeling exposed.
"are you sure this dress isn’t too short?" I asked, turning slightly to check the back.
Aria rolled her eyes. "its not too short. Its perfect," she said firmly, admiring her handiwork like a proud artist.
Still unconvinced, I reached for a jacket to cover myself, but before I could slip it on, Aria snatched it out of my hands.
"nope. Absolutely not," she said, waving it away. "you don’t need a jacket. Trust , you look amazing."
I sighed. "But I’m cold..."
"you’ll be fine," she said cheerfully, already herding toward the door before I could protest further.
Outside, as we waited for our ride, I shivered slightly, the thin fabric doing little against the cool air. The breeze nipped at my skin, sending tiny Goosebumps racing down my arms.
still, I could see the satisfaction on Aria’s face ─ and I knew there was no turning back now.
******
After we reached our destination, Aria paid for the ride, and we made our way to the club, falling in line behind the crowd already waiting to get in.
The line crept forward to a glacial pace. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, fidgeting with my invisible jacket─well, imaginary, since Aria wouldn’t let wear one ─ and tried not to shiver too visibly.
"Ugh, is this line always so long?" Aria grumbled, glancing down the block.
"I hope we don’t have to wait forever," I replied through clenched teeth. "I’m freezing here."
As we stood there, still chatting a group of three guys casually walked up and slid into the line directly in front of us just as we are about to enter─ like they owned the place.
My jaw tightened. Excuse ? We’d been standing out here, freezing, for what felt like ages, and these entitled jerks thought they could just cut in? just waltz up like the rules didn’t apply to them?
I could feel the heat rising in my chest. Nope. Not tonight. They weren’t getting away with that.
"Hey, you guys can’t just cut in front of us like that!" I called oout, my voice rising above the chatter around us. "We’ve been standing here for thirty minutes!"
One of the guys turned, a smirk playing on his lips. "relax sweetheart," he said, his tone condescending and smug. " we don’t wait in lines, we’re VIP."
I crossed my arms, swallowing the heat bubbling in my chest as Aria gently tugged at my sleeve, trying to reel back. "well, you’re not acting like VIPs . you’re acting like entitled jerks who think they’re better than everyone else."
The smirk on his face twisted into a sneer. "aw, don’t be jealous. Guess you cant afford the VIP experience."
His friends laughed, and sothing in snapped. "I can afford it just fine," I shot back, my eyes narrowing.
"prove it," he said, leaning closer, breath recking of arrogance. "show your VIP pass."
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. " I don’t need to prove anything to you," I said coolly. :and even if I did, I wouldn’t show you a damn thing. You’d probably try to steal it."
He chuckled, clearly entertained. "you should learn to respect your elders, sweetheart."
Sweetheart. That word. Like a slap.
"respect is earned," I said through gritted teeth. "not handed out like candy to cocky line-cutters."
His grin stretched wider, amused by my defiance. "so you think you’re tough, huh?"
I took a steadying breath. " tough enough to deal with jerks like you."
His friends burst into laughter again, and he just shook his head. "you’ve got a mouth on you," he said, mocking admiration iin his voice. "all bark, no bite."
Before I could fire back, he turned his back on like I wasn’t even worth the effort and sauntered up to the bouncer. He leaned in, said sothing, and nodded toward his group ─ then toward .
The bouncer looked over, then gave a curt nod.
And just like that, the velvet rope pulled aside.
We were being let in too.
I blinked, stunned, as the bouncer waved us through. For a split second, I didnnt move ─ my feet frozen in place, mind scrambling to catch up.
Was this so kind of joke?
Aria gave a nudge, eyes wide. "well... are we going in or what?"
Still reeling, I let her pull forward, the heavy velvet rope swinging open like so ironic red carpet. My pulse thudded in my ears as we step pass the annoying trio, their ringleader throwing a knowing smirk.
What just happened?
I should’ve felt victorious─ like I’d won so small battle of words. But instead, my stomach twisted. I didn’t like the way he looked at , like I was a toy he’d decided to toss a treat to for performing well enough.
I hated that I was walking into the blub on his invitation
Aria leaned in, whispering, "honestly? I think you freaked him out a little. He probably didn’t know whether to flirt with you or fear you."
I forced a laugh but it ca oout thin. "Great. Just what I always wanted ─ free entry courtesy of an arrogant creep with a God complex."
But even as I said it, I felt myself slipping into the rhythm of the music spilling out of the club. The beat pulsed through the walls, calling to sothing wild and restless inside .
Still, I couldn’t shake that grin he worn.
That smug, infuriating, too─damn─confident grin.
And worse ─ I had the unsettling feeling I hadn’t seen the last of him.
I followed Aria through the crowd, trying to keep up with her quick pace. The humidity was overwhelming, and I felt a sense of claustrophobia set in.
Aria grabbed my hand and led towards the bar. "Hey, I want you to try sothing," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I think you’ll like it."
"What is it? Gin? beer? soda?" I asked, curiosity piqued
She shook her head. "Nope. A margarita. It’s a classic ─ you have to try it at least once."
"A margarita?" I repeated. "I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never actually tried one before."
Aria looked at like I’d grown a second head. "Seriously? You’ve never had a margarita? Girl, we’re fixing that right now."
She waved over the bartender and ordered two margaritas. The bartender nods and starts preparing the drinks.
I watched as he expertly mixed the ingredients, the sound of ice clinking and glasses sliding echoing under the thrum of music. When he finally set down two golden drinks, garnished with slices of li, I couldn’t help but admire how pretty they looked.
Aria picks up one glass and handed the other to , her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Go on. Just a sip."
I take the glass from her, a bit nervously. "Okay... here goes," I say, bracing myself for the taste. As I take a small sip─and to my surprise, it was good. Sweet, tangy, and refreshing.
"oh wow," I say, my eyes widening. "I can see why this is a classic." I took another sip, savoring the taste.
Before Aria could reply, the music suddenly shifted, and her face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. "oh my god, they’re playing our song!" she squealed, grabbing my hand again. "Co on, let’s go dance!"
"What?" I shouted over the pounding bass, trying to make out her words.
She leaned in close and yelled into my ear, her words clear amidst the loud beats. "I said, let’s go dance!"
Her energy was infectious. Despite the loud music and the crowd, I found myself smiling. "Alright, let’s do it!" I shouted back, letting her pull toward the dance floor, my excitent bubbling just beneath the surface.
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